Molding Hearts and Changing Lives

Last month a friend named Sharon prayed with me for employment. I have been a temp for approximately 2 years now and want permanent employment, or thought I did. No matter what happens I always want His will to be done even if I think I know better what I need or desire. Right after that wonderful fateful day of prayer, I got two temp assignments and have been steadily employed. My last day at the downtown Allina clinic will be tomorrow and I have already been placed somewhere next week. I've been praying for permanent employment so I could be part of a "team". Through these two assignments and the prayers of faithful friends God has molded my heart to accept being a temp, not worry about permanent placement, and work where I can get assignments. After all it's a wonderful way to meet and work with friendly fellow caregivers and meet the needs of patients and their families as we all work our way through the healthcare system that Allina offers us. Btw, the picture was taken during a complimentary breakfast that was jumpstarting a volunteer program through the Allina clinics. They insisted I be a part of the picture because "you are a part of the team, after all".

Comet (Not The Cleanser)

Two nights ago we went to bed and I was awoken by our dog Comet seizing on the floor by the bed. The whole rest of the day is a blurr for us both as she had two more episodes and basically lost her ability to comprehend not only where she was but who we were. By 6 o'clock that night we were in the vets office with my two youngest grown children as we were forced to euthanize her. She was 14 and in excellent health. We all cried buckets of tears and ended the evening crying over a meal at Perkins down the street and talking about what a great dog she was to us. The question of heaven and dogs came up. I would like to quote a wonderful article from Dogworld that was put in Comet's file that I kept with the vacinations a few years back. Bear with me: it's worth it.
"I am not a member of the clergy or a theologian, so I will admit right off that I have no authority to discuss such weighty matters. This is just my opinion. But honestly, it wouldn't be heaven if there were no animals. I believe all animals go to heaven to make it a better place for us. But I believe animals merit heaven in their own right - probably more than I do.
A lifetime of living with animals has convinced me that they have the purest souls. By that, I mean they seem to experience every feeling in its purest form. Their joy is never diminished by thoughts of the past or future. Their trust is never less than absolute. Their innocence is spotless. They love us in a way that is limitless and all-embracing. Their devotion is never tempered by doubt or self-interest and they accept themselves in the same way they accept us: they never see our flaws; they are never self-conscous about their own. They struggle to live in our world, on our terms and accept our demand that they put aside their very nature to live up to our expectations. They joyfully offer us the assistance we require, the approval we crave, and they never stop to think about what's in it for them. Sometimes their love heals us: Sometimes it transforms us...." Comet did both for me. R.I.P. "Sweets"(my sometimes nickname for her).

A Little Slice of Life

The other day I was at my moms and her photo album had fallen apart. She had created it back in the 40s so it was on it's way out anyway. I told her we could create a new album with the pictures and we could have some fun walking down memory lane. She wanted to throw most of the photos away stating "I don't know most of these people anymore, I'll never see them again and it's too much work." Spoken like a true 87-yr-old. I wouldn't let her off the hook that easy so we delved in and took a look at some of them. Even though she was born in Duluth she spent from junior high years and up in the Minneapolis area. She went to Washburn High School and went steady with a guy named Donald who we both agreed was a real "looker". She would later run off to California with some girl-friends when her job as a typist at Cargill Corp. was ending (yea, they had layoffs then too). That is where she met some guy named Harold who she later became engaged to but then met and married my dad at a USO show in San Diego and the rest is history.

While in high school she had tons of friends, hung out at Lake Nokomis and was a baton twirler for the marching band at Washburn High School. Her best friend was Arlene Dahl, the American film actress that worked in TV (What's My Line and various movies) in the 50s. My mom use to go over to her house and they would practice their twirling. When Dahl was active in TV in the 50s the press would always state her age as about 4 years younger than she was and my mom said she would yell at the TV "she was not born in 1927, she was born in 1923 you fool!" So much for a little slice of her life very different from mine. I never dated in high school or college and I would never be brave enough to run off to another state with friends but then my mom was a real "looker" and braver when she was in her 20s than I was. For those of you with moms that are still among the living pull out those old photo albums tucked away in a closet somewhere and walk down memory lane with her. For those of you whose mom is no longer with you take a look anyway and remember the good times.

Mom is the one on the end closest to the photographer.